The present invention relates to systems and methods for implementing automated auction processes that may be conducted electronically.
There have been many different approaches adopted to fairly bring buyers and sellers together in a manner that is economically efficient. A main objective of such approaches is to allow transactions to be conducted as close as possible to the market price of the goods. Generally, the market price can be achieved by permitting full access to the transaction by essentially all potential educated buyers and sellers. However, the buyer/seller transaction must be structured to operate at a very low cost, or it will distort the price of goods. Therefore, some key elements in promoting effective buyer/seller transactions may conflict, thereby necessitating trade-offs between trading efficiency and market knowledge.
An auction is a well known method that brings buyers and sellers together in transacting a sale of goods. Traditionally, this process has involved the gathering of potential buyers in one location, known as an auction house, where select goods are presented to them by an auctioneer that calls for bids. At the floor of an auction, potential buyers compete for an auctioned item by bidding for it, sometimes with the assistance of bid spotters. The auctioned item is sold to the highest bidder once the auctioneer bangs a gavel i.e., once the hammer falls. Afterwards, an auction attendant assists the winning bidder with the required formalities and the auction house assists in collecting the item the bidder has won, thereby completing the transaction.
Although successful in creating an exciting forum wherein interested parties compete for an item, the traditional auction process suffers from various disadvantages. Participants must be physically assembled at an auction site. Attending an auction is therefore not only time consuming but also expensive, as it may be associated with transportation costs. As a result, fewer buyers may attend and the true market price of the auctioned item may not be achieved.
In an effort to make auctions more convenient, some auction houses allow potential buyers or bidders to submit their bids over the telephone or the Internet, so that they need not be physically present at a particular auction house. Moreover, such bids may be placed in advance—i.e., bidders need not submit their bids while the auction is taking place. By allowing bidders to submit their maximum bids via telephone, mail, facsimile or email, the process of bidding becomes less expensive and may save time. However, such a process may hinder a bidder's ability to increase his or her bid in response to competitive bids received from the floor as it also takes away from the excitement of being physically present at the auction. Not only do the limitations of the previous auction schemes lead to lower selling prices, but they also require the presence of a live auctioneer to conduct the auction.
More recently, Internet-based auctions have been made possible where sellers post descriptions and pictures of items they intend to sell, while buyers browse through such items and enter bids electronically. Such a scheme is particularly useful when there are no established trading locations for the select items. In addition, most Internet-based auctions are automated in that they do not require the presence of a live auctioneer. Compared to traditional auctions that have been the dominant trading form for exotic items such as rare pieces of art, antiques and the like, electronic auctions not only allow for a significant number of users to participate in the auctioning of a good, but may also be used for trading almost all kinds of goods. Moreover, Internet-based auctions allow for multiple users to bid for or sell multiple items substantially simultaneously.
In Internet-based auctions, bidding for a specific item typically starts when the item is posted by a seller and ends at a predetermined time. Bidders are permitted to bid up to the designated end time, where the winning bid is the highest bid at such time. In such a process, bidders often struggle to outbid each other close to the designated end time of the auction. As a result, processing errors or delays may occur, certain bids may not be entered, and the true market price of the auctioned item may not be achieved. Moreover, this type of auction may also lack an element of excitement that is present throughout a traditional auction.
A reverse auction is a variation of the auction process that may be used in Internet-based auctions. At the start of such a process, the price of the auctioned item is set at a predetermined value and decreases in predetermined decrements during the auction. Such a process typically takes place over a relatively short period of time during which each potential buyer is provided with the current price and the time remaining until the auction is concluded. Although more exciting and dynamic than typical Internet-based auctions, reverse auctions are associated with large activity as the auction nears its conclusion. This again may lead to the item selling at a sub-optimal price and may increase the risk of processing errors.
It would therefore be desirable to provide automated Internet-based auction systems and methods that allow for efficient and simultaneous trading of multiple goods, while simulating the live and dynamic setting of a traditional auction.